


No One’s Fault

by weshallovercome20



Category: Sweet Magnolias - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25148059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weshallovercome20/pseuds/weshallovercome20
Summary: To the Townsends, Sullivans, and Helen Decatur, the paramedics' process of maneuvering a body out of Ty's car feels like it takes hours. In reality, it can't have been more than minutes from when one of the paramedics tells them there is an unidentified passenger in the car to when the same paramedic approaches the three families as the passenger is put on a stretcher and rushed to an ambulance.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 58





	1. The Accident

To the Townsends, Sullivans, and Helen Decatur, the paramedics' process of maneuvering a body out of Ty's car feels like it takes hours. In reality, it can't have been more than minutes from when one of the paramedics tells them there is an unidentified passenger in the car to when the same paramedic approaches the three families as the passenger is put on a stretcher and rushed to an ambulance.

"The passenger is a female with dark hair, wearing a light blue gown-" The paramedic didn't get to describe the passenger any further before Dana Sue Sullivan let out a sob.

"That's our daughter. Annie. She's 16." Ronnie Sullivan managed to say as he held Dana Sue tightly.

"Oh my god." Maddie Townsend whimpered and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Is she going to be okay?" Helen Decatur asked, letting her lawyer side overpower the godmother and aunt side of her for the time being.

"It's too soon to tell. Both kids need to be taken to the hospital immediately. Parents are allowed to ride in the ambulance, if any of you would like." The paramedic responds and Ronnie and Dana Sue run to the ambulance holding Annie.

"Where is Tyler?" Dr. Bill Townsend demands.

"I don't know, sir. As far as I'm aware there has been no other accident reported tonight and we still have yet to find the other car involved in this accident, if there was one."

"Maddie, you and Bill go with Kyle. I'll find Tyler." Helen says, already reaching inside her purse for her phone.

"Helen, what if-" Maddie begins.

"No. No what ifs, they only serve to upset us. I will call Erik and Isaac and the damn Mayor if I have to. Do you have any idea where Tyler and Cece were planning on going after prom?"

"I believe they were going to a party, but I don't know where. It must have been thrown by someone on the baseball team."

"You let our son go to a party without knowing where and with who?" Bill exclaims.

"Is that really the most important question right now, Bill?" Maddie retorts, more tears springing to her eyes.  
  
"And where was Kyle tonight?" Helen asks, ignoring Bill's open mouth.  
  
"He was hanging out with Nellie Lewis. They were supposed to be playing video games and eating junk food."

"You lifted Kyle's grounding? And _you_ yell at _me_ for making decisions without you? Look what's happened, Maddie." Bill yells.

"Okay, that is enough. This is no one's fault, alright? Nellie is Jackson Lewis's sister, correct?" Helen inserts.

"Yes." Maddie says.  
  
"So Tyler must've been at Jackson's house. There's no other way Kyle would've gotten the keys to his car. I'll head over there and you two go to the hospital. And no more fighting, got it?"

"Got it." Maddie says and runs off, Bill hot on her heels. The two ambulances drive away as more police arrive on the scene and Helen makes her exit, speeding to the Mayor's house while calling everyone in her contacts. Helen arrives at the Lewis home in record time and she races inside, the front door wide open. Helen runs into the den to find a room full of high schoolers decked out in prom gowns and tuxes, but none of them look happy. Helen spots Tyler's friend Gabe and immediately walks towards him.

"Where is Tyler?" Helen demands and Gabe lets out a slew of curse words.

" _Language_." Helen warns.

"Sorry, ma'am. I just... I was hoping you could tell me that." Gabe says.

"What happened here?"

"Prom ended and Jackson said after prom was at his house. Everyone here plus Simon, Ty, Cece, Jackson, and Annie drove here and when we got here Kyle and Jackson's sister were hanging out. Jackson said some things and long story short a fight broke out between Jackson and Ty and Cece, but then Kyle was in the mix somehow and when Ty pushed him out of the way Kyle yelled something about Ty never seeing him and then he ran out. Ty and Annie chased after him, then Nellie followed and so did Simon and Cece and Jackson. It all happened so fast I started to move too but I figured Kyle wouldn't want seven people chasing him, you know? So I stayed and hoped they'd come back but they never did." Gabe explains as several other kids shake their heads in agreement. Faced with the fact that no one knew where the five children were, Helen did the only thing left to do: she prayed. As Helen finished her prayer she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Erik behind her with Isaac a few feet behind Erik.

"What can we do?" Erik asks, calmly. Helen takes a deep breath and tries to think of the next logical step.

"We have to call their parents." Helen finally says.

"Whose parents?"

"Jackson and Nellie's, Simon's, and Cece's."

"Okay. I can call Mary Vaughn. You can call Cece's dad. Does anyone here have Simon's parents' information?"

"I do, from mock trial." Says a voice from the entrance of the home. The entire room turns to see Cal Maddox running into the den, already dialing.

"Perfect. Isaac, get the rest of these kids home. I don't care if that means sobering them up first or calling parents or driving or what." Helen orders.

"Got it, ma'am." Isaac says and moves towards the kids as the other three adults separate themselves in order for each of them to hear their own phone call. After a slightly abrasive talk with Cece's dad, Helen hangs up and sees Cal is done with his call, Erik getting an earful from Mary Vaughn no doubt. As Helen thinks of a new prayer to pass the time with, the front door bursts open and in walk Jackson and Nellie.

"Where are the others?" Helen asks as she rushes towards them, quickly scanning each of them for injuries in which she finds a scraped knee for Nellie and some dirt for Jackson.

"We lost them. Nellie fell and I stayed behind to help her up and get her home. She shouldn't have been there to begin with." Jackson mutters.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here, Jackson. This is all your fault anyway. Kyle and I were having fun until you had to ruin it with your hideous personality." Nellie exclaims and a few kids chuckle, causing Jackson's face to turn red.

"Nellie, go to your room."

"You're not my dad-"

"Go." Jackson seethes and points to the stairs. After a brief staredown, Nellie relents and rushes up the stairs yelling about telling their mom everything that happened tonight.

"What did you see?" Cal asks Jackson.

"Last I saw, Kyle was running down the block screaming about how he's gonna make everyone notice him now. Annie took off her heels so she was really close to Kyle, Ty right behind her. I don't know where he was running to." Jackson explains.

"Where did Ty park his car?" Helen asks.

"Two streets over. I didn't want to attract attention by having a bunch of cars in front of my house, so I had everyone spread out amongst the neighborhood. Why? You don't think Kyle was trying to drive, do you? He's barely 15." Jackson scoffs but his smile droops when he sees the look on Helen's face.

"What happened? Was there an accident?" Gabe asks, joining the group in the entryway.

"Yes. Kyle crashed Ty's car with Annie in the passenger seat. We don't know where the others are." Helen replies quietly, her mind racing. Before Helen could think of another question to ask, pleas for help were heard from the street. Helen, Gabe, Erik, and Cal rush out to the road to see Simon assisting a limping Cece towards the Lewis home. Erik runs to meet them and swoops Cece into his arms, rushing her to the house.

"What happened?" Helen asks Simon, who runs to meet her.

"Cece was running in her heels and twisted her ankle. She fell and everything, but Kyle, Annie, and Ty kept running. I couldn't just leave her there, so I've been walking her back here for at least twenty minutes. Everyone left their phones in the box inside so we couldn't call anyone." Simon explains as they all walk back into the house, Erik already elevating Cece's foot which has turned a purplish color.

"Isaac, take Cece to the hospital." Erik orders after carefully examining her foot.

"I'll go with you." Simon adds and the two of them bring Cece to Isaac's car and drive away.

"I'll call their parents and let them know where they're going and that Jackson and Nellie are here." Cal says and leaves the room to make the calls.

"Whose _brilliant_ idea was it to take away their phones?" Helen demands, her anger at the idiocy of these teenagers getting the better of her.

"M-Me. Ma'am. I have people put their phones in a box so they don't take pictures and get us all busted." Jackson admits, seeming scared for the first time tonight. Helen turns to him.  
  
"Do you understand how much of this could have been avoided if any of these children had had their cell phones? The _one_ good thing about your generation being addicted to their phones is that in a crisis we can reach you. And now we can't do that. Where is Tyler, huh? Where is he?" Helen exclaims and begins to hyperventilate.

"I don't know. I don't know, I swear. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"And yet, it did." Helen seethes as Jackson shrinks. Suddenly, Helen's phone rings. The room stills. Helen slowly looks at her phone and sees Miss Grace's contact pop up. Her lip wobbles as she accepts the call and puts the phone up to her ear.

"Yes?" Helen all but whimpers, bracing herself for another bout of useless information.

"I have Tyler." Miss Grace calmly states and Helen does let out a whimper this time as she collapses on a chair.

"What? What is it? Is Tyler okay? Did they find him?" Gabe asks.

"What do you mean you have Tyler?" Helen asks and puts up a finger in Gabe's direction, telling him to wait.

"I mean I was about to leave Wharton's for the day when I got your voicemail, so I decided to stay put and lo and behold who is to come running up to my door not ten minutes later but Tyler Townsend. Completely fine, physically. Emotionally, however, I think you should get down here as quickly as possible." Miss Grace calmly explains.

"Oh bless you, Miss Grace. I am so grateful-"

"You can tell me that when you get here. I'll see you soon." Miss Grace says and hangs up. Helen puts her phone down and lets out a sob of relief into her hands. She feels a hand on her back and looks up to see Erik staring down at her kindly as Cal ushers the remaining kids out of the house, besides Gabe and Jackson.

"Is he okay?" Gabe asks again.

"Tyler is fine. He is at Wharton's. I have to go." Helen says as she rushes up and heads toward the door.

"Wait, take me with you." Gabe says as Erik also moves to follow Helen.

"No. You need to go home." Helen says to Gabe.

"Tyler is my best friend-"

"And I will tell him how concerned you were. But this is a family matter."

"But-"

"I'll take you home, Gabe." Cal says as he walks back in. Gabe sighs, knowing he's been beat and follows Cal out the door.

"Helen, you are in no state to drive." Erik states.

"I am just fine, thank you. Besides, Jackson and Nellie cannot be left unattended. We saw how well that worked out the last time." Helen says.

"Helen-"

"I will take deep breaths and I will drive the speed limit, Erik. Trust me, there will be no other car accident tonight." Helen says and Erik looks like he wants to argue, but instead he sighs in defeat and nods. Without another word, Helen rushes to her car and drives to Wharton's. After parking her car, she runs to the door and doesn't stop running until she has Tyler in her arms, who runs to meet her in the middle of the restaurant. The two of them sob in each other's arms until Helen eventually pulls away.

"How much do you know?" Helen asks.  
  
"Everything." Tyler whispers.


	2. What Are The Odds?

Helen leads Tyler back to where he had been sitting with Miss Grace.

"I'll give you two some privacy and call your parents so they know you're safe, Tyler." Miss Grace says and walks away. Helen takes one of Tyler's hands in hers as he stares at the table, tears still running down his face.

"What happened tonight?" Helen asks, gently. "Jackson had a party. I knew Kyle was there with Nellie, but I just assumed Jackson had worked it out with his sister. He hadn't. I should've known better, really. Jackson and Nellie fought but Jackson won out, like always, and he took everyone's phones. He turned on some music and we started to dance. Then Jackson started making comments about Annie, then Cece, and before I could reach him, Cece punched Jackson in the face. He got up though, so we started fighting as Gabe tried to break us up. I know I shouldn't have fought him, but Jackson has messed up so many things in my life. He's mocked my family and every time Gabe reminds me he's not worth it. But this time? I was over it. I don't know why Kyle got involved but suddenly he was punching Jackson so I threw him out of the way. I was trying to protect him. That's all I've ever tried to do... protect him..." Tyler trails off as he lets out a few sobs. Helen squeezes his hand as he works to gain control of himself.

"He got so mad. I knew... I knew the reasons he missed mock trial weren't gone. They couldn't have been, you know? But I just... I didn't know how to ask so I didn't. He was right. I didn't see him. He's been crying for help for months and I never saw it. I was so focused on myself and how I was doing that I never even thought... he just seemed so happy especially when he got cast as Puck-" Tyler rambles.

"Tyler, sweetie, I need you to tell me what happened." Helen softly orders and Tyler swallows and takes a deep breath.

"He yelled at me for never noticing him and he ran off. I don't know how Annie and I knew we had to follow him, but we did. It just felt bad. Suddenly Nellie was with us then Cece and Simon and Jackson. To be completely honest I don't know where they went, all I could think about was Kyle. Do you know if they're okay?"

"They are. Nellie tripped so Jackson brought her back to their house. Cece twisted her ankle and fell. It didn't look pretty, but she's okay. Simon walked her back to Jackson's house and he and Isaac took her to the hospital. Erik is with Jackson and Nellie now."

"Good. Good. Anyway, Annie and I kept chasing Kyle until finally we reached my car. I knew it was stupid. God, it's all my fault."

"What happened?"

"Kyle demanded that I give him my keys. Said if I wanted to prove that I see him, that I care about him more than the car or baseball or anything, that I needed to give him the keys. I knew it was stupid and he was in no shape to drive-"

"Does he even know how?"

"Yes. Back before the divorce our dad was teaching him while he taught me. He was a real kiss-up towards the end and Kyle really wanted to learn."

"So you gave him the keys?"

"Not at first, I told him he wasn't old enough and that I love him more than any of that stuff, but he wasn't listening. He couldn't get that stupid car out of his head. Then Annie... she told Kyle that I would give him the keys if she went with him. She reasoned that she knew how to drive and could help him navigate doing it at night but I think she just wanted to make him happy and apparently the only way to do that was to get him far away from me. He jumped at the idea. I didn't like it, but Annie insisted, so I gave Kyle the keys. And they sped away. That's when I broke down, I couldn't get myself together I just..."

"Of course you couldn't, Tyler. Just hearing about all of that makes me want to break down too. After you finished crying, did you come straight to Wharton's?"

"Basically, yeah. I really just looked for any open shop where I could have access to a phone, I was closer to town than Jackson's place. Wharton's was the first place I saw with a light on. Miss Grace brought me inside and told me everything about the accident... and then she called you. God, it's all my fault." Tyler blubbers as he begins to heavily sob.

"Tyler, it's not your fault. Am I going to applaud you for giving an unstable, underage child your keys? No. But you're just a kid and it was an impossible situation, okay? It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault." Helen insists, wrapping him up in a hug.

"Come on, Aunt Helen. You're a lawyer. You and I both know I should be getting sued or arrested or something."

"This is so much more complicated than that, okay? What we need to do is get you to the hospital with your parents." Helen says and Tyler freezes.

"No. No, I can't go there. I can't face my parents or Aunt Dana Sue knowing I'm responsible for their kids getting injured or worse."

"Tyler, they don't blame you."

"That's a lie."

"No, it's not. They love you and they know this was a lot more than you giving Kyle your keys on a whim."

"Aunt Helen-"

"You're going. Get up." Helen orders and Miss Grace waves from behind the counter as the two leave. At the hospital, the Sullivans and the Townsends anxiously sit beside each other in the waiting room. Finally, a doctor walks over to them and both sets of parents stand up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Townsend?" The doctor asks and the Sullivans collapse back into their chairs.

"Is he okay?" Maddie asks.

"Yes, Kyle will be just fine. He's got a few broken ribs from the airbag and a concussion from his head hitting the steering wheel and some nasty cuts and bruises, but we seem to have fixed everything else."

"Can we see him?"

"Yes, he is in room 301."

"Thank you so much-" Maddie is cut off by the door to the waiting room bursting open. Helen and Tyler walk in and Maddie runs to hug Tyler, followed by Bill, as Helen sits in the chair next to Dana Sue.

"What's happening?" Helen asks.

"Maddie and Bill just found out Kyle is fine. He's got broken ribs and a concussion and bruises but he's out of surgery." Dana Sue explains.

"Oh thank you lord. Any word on Annie?"

"Nope. But don't worry, the Townsends now have both of their sons back. Why is it that you two get the happy ending when it's _your_ family's fault that _my_ daughter is in the hospital?" Ronnie exclaims as he jumps up and turns towards the three Townsends.

"Ronnie-" Dana Sue begins.

"Don't you dare attack my family, Ronald." Bill warns.

"Your family, William? Last time I recalled, you two were divorced. What family?"

"That is it-" Bill exclaims as he lunges towards Ronnie, Maddie wrapping her arms tighter around Tyler as both Dana Sue and Helen's eyes widen. The doctor gets between them and threatens to throw them out if they don't stop immediately. Bill and Ronnie stare at each other for a few moments then both begrudgingly rejoin their families. The three Townsends rush to see Kyle as Helen, Dana Sue, and Ronnie wait to hear about Annie. Hours later, a different doctor comes into the waiting room and heads straight towards the Sullivans and Helen, who all stand up.

"Annabelle Sullivan's family?" The doctor asks.

"Yes." Dana Sue says and grabs both Helen and Ronnie's hands.

"She's out of surgery and, once she wakes up, she should be in the clear."

"What do you mean once she wakes up?"

"Well, she lost a lot of blood before we even got her on the operating table. We fixed everything we could, but losing that much blood and being under anesthesia for so long took a toll on her."

"What are the odds she wakes up?" Helen asks.

"I would say 60/40 in favor of waking up. And if she does wake up she should be fine. She just has to wake up. She's young, though, and kids tend to be a lot more resilient than adults. I can't promise anything, but at her age I would even risk giving her a 70% chance of waking up."

"That's still a 30% chance she doesn't." Ronnie mutters.

"I know. I wish I could give you better news. She's in room 303." The doctor says and walks away as the three try to keep themselves together.

"You two should go see Annie. I'll update the Townsends." Helen says and the three part ways. Helen enters Kyle's room and sees Maddie stroking Kyle's hair as he sleeps. Bill is sitting in the chair next to his bed as Tyler stares out the window, his back to the door and the rest of his family.

"Hi." Helen whispers. Tyler whips around as Maddie and Bill's heads jolt up to look at Helen.

"How's Annie?" Tyler asks, walking closer to Helen. Helen swallows and avoids making eye contact with Tyler, instead choosing to look at Maddie.

"She's out of surgery and they've fixed everything they can fix." Helen states.

"Meaning what?" Maddie asks, a pit beginning to grow in her stomach.

"Meaning if she wakes up she'll be fine."

"If?"

"Doctor says in a normal case there's a 60% chance they'll wake up. Since Annie is a kid they think 70%."

"Kids are more resilient." Bill adds as Maddie lets out a gasp.

"I have to see her." Tyler suddenly says and rushes out of the room.

"Ty, wait." Maddie exclaims as she rushes after him. Tyler rushes to the nurse's desk.

"Annabelle Sullivan?" He asks.

"Room 303." The nurse replies after checking her computer and Tyler races down the hall, Maddie chasing after him. Tyler makes a beeline to the door to room 303, but is blocked by Ronnie Sullivan.

"There is no way in hell that I am letting you anywhere near my daughter." Ronnie growls as Maddie catches up to Tyler.

"He's just a child, Ronnie. It's not his fault." Maddie argues.

"It damn well is his fault. Whose godforsaken car was it? Huh? The only other person to blame is your other son, who's miraculously doing fine while my daughter is in a coma." Ronnie seethes as Tyler begins to sob.

" _I didn't want to... Annie..._ " Tyler sobs as Dana Sue comes to the door.

"Ronnie, sit down." Dana Sue orders and after she sends him a glare, Ronnie sits down next to Annie's bed.

"Dana Sue, I'm so sorry." Maddie says as she hugs her friend.

"70% chance, Maddie. We have to cling to that and pray that God doesn't take her away from me so soon." Dana Sue whispers as tears run down her face. "Of course. We'll be sending all of our prayers to you and Annie." Maddie says as she pulls away from Dana Sue. Dana Sue turns to see Tyler staring at Annie through the window, tears streaming down his face.

"Tyler Townsend, get your butt over here." Dana Sue orders. Tyler tries to calm down his breathing as he makes his way over to Dana Sue. Once he's in arms reach, Dana Sue tugs him closer to her and begins to wipe away his tears.

"Now, you listen to me. This is not your fault. It's not. We all brushed Kyle's issues under the rug. There is no way you could've predicted this would happen. No one is to blame." Dana Sue says softly.

"I'm so sorry. I should've... if I had just..." Tyler trails off.

"If you had just what? Been in the car instead of Annie? Because that would make this situation so much better?" Dana Sue asks and Tyler lowers his eyes.

"It wouldn't have been better, Ty. Stop thinking that, okay?" Maddie says and wraps her arms around her son. Tyler slightly nods.

"Good. Now, I'm gonna go back to Annie. You two should go back to Kyle." Dana Sue orders.

"Let us know if anything changes." Maddie states.

"I will." Dana Sue says and shuts the door. Tyler's eyes drift to where Annie is visible through the window.

"Ty, it's time to go." Maddie whispers.

"But... Annie." Tyler replies.

"Annie is not going to get better faster because you are standing here. I already called your grandma and she's gonna bring you home and stay with you and Katie while Kyle gets better." Maddie explains as she gently leads her son to the entrance of the hospital.

"I want to stay."

"And I adore you for that, but there's nothing you can do right now. It would make me feel better to know you're sleeping at home rather than being here and staying awake all night waiting for Kyle to wake up."

"I want to be here when he wakes up. He has to know I care."

"He will. We will call you and grandma and Katie as soon as he wakes up." Maddie promises as they exit the hospital and head towards Maddie's mother's car.

"And Annie?"

"We will call you if anything changes. I promise." Maddie says as she opens the door to the passenger seat and ushers Tyler in, Katie sleeping soundly in the backseat. The car pulls away and Maddie walks back inside, collapsing in the chair next to Kyle's bed and stroking his hair like before.


	3. The Waiting Game

The next day Maddie is awoken at noon by someone poking her forehead.

"Mom?" A scratchy voice whispers and Maddie's head jolts up to see Kyle awake.

"Bill! Bill, get up!" Maddie exclaims and Bill jumps awake as Maddie pours Kyle some water and hands him the cup. Kyle finishes the cup and Maddie puts it on the table as both parents sit on either side of Kyle's bed.

"Where's Annie?" Kyle asks, his eyes slightly hazy.

"She's down the hall." Maddie says, hoping to give the least amount of detail as possible.

"Is she okay?" Kyle asks and Maddie's throat goes dry. Bill sighs.

"She's in a coma. There's a good chance she wakes up, but nothing is certain." Bill explains and Kyle's eyes widen.

"What have I done?" Kyle whispers to himself.

"That's a great question, actually. What was your master plan in all of this?" Bill asks.

"Bill, be nice." Maddie warns as she squeezes her son's hand.

"I don't know. I just... I got so angry at Jackson for not caring about Nellie that I lunged at him. Then Ty shoved me out of the way and I just snapped." Kyle whispers.

"What happened in the car?" Bill presses.

"I made Ty give me the keys. He didn't want to, but then Annie said she'd be the passenger and make sure I was okay so he gave them to me. I was okay with Annie being there at first, but then..."

"Then what?" Maddie asks, gently.

"Then I remembered how she didn't see me either."

"What do you mean?"

"No one sees me. Ever since you guys separated it's like everyone is so trapped in their own worlds that they just forget I'm around. After running away I thought you would all notice and things would get better, they _were_ getting better, but... I don't know. I was fine and then I wasn't. I drove fine until I remembered Annie was one of the people I was most upset with and then... I don't know. I must've swerved off the road or something but I don't remember." Kyle explains and lets out a shaky breath. Maddie's eyes fill with tears.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I should've paid more attention. I just... you seemed okay. You seemed okay and I really wanted you to be okay so I guess I just buried my head in the sand." Maddie admits as she cries.

"You seemed so excited about _Hamilton_ I just assumed..." Bill trails off.

"It's not that I wasn't excited about _Hamilton_ or that I lied about feeling better when I didn't. I was okay, but something about Jackson and Ty... it just set me off. I wish I had a better explanation." Kyle says.

"Well, this time we're gonna do it right. We're gonna get you a therapist and-" Maddie begins.

"A therapist? He doesn't need a therapist. What he needs is his family back together." Bill argues.

"Bill, you cannot be serious."

"Wow I've been awake for two seconds and you two are already fighting." Kyle mumbles.

"You're right. This is part of the problem. We can discuss this later, right now I'm going to go tell a nurse you're awake and then I'm gonna tell Helen and Dana Sue and then I'll call your grandma and it'll be great." Maddie exclaims and exits the room, leaving Kyle and Bill to awkwardly stare at each other until a nurse comes in. Maddie quietly knocks on the door to room 303 and Helen answers, shutting the door behind her as to not wake the sleeping Ronnie and Dana Sue.

"Kyle is awake and talking. He doesn't remember exactly how they crashed, but he said it's possible he did it..." Maddie trails off as the full weight of that statement hits her like a freight train. Helen pulls her into a tight hug.

"I'm glad he's okay. As for the rest, we can fix that. It'll be different now." Helen assures Maddie as she pulls away.

"How's Annie?" Maddie asks.

"No change, which I guess is a good sign. Or maybe it's not. I don't know." Helen admits as she blinks away tears.

"Once my whole family is here we will all pray for her."

"Thank you. It seems that's all we can do at this point." The two hug again before Helen returns to Annie's room and Maddie calls her mother, who promises to bring Katie and Tyler over immediately. The three arrive in record time and Maddie leads them to Kyle's room where Katie immediately jumps on the bed and tackles Kyle in a hug.

"I'm sorry you got sick." Katie says. Kyle gives her a small smile as Bill scoops Katie up into his arms and sits on a chair.

"How are you, dear?" Kyle's grandma asks as she neatens up his hair.

"I'm okay." Kyle says and turns to Tyler, who's barely keeping it together. He officially loses it when Kyle smiles in his direction.

"Don't ever do that again, you hear?" Tyler sobs and tackles Kyle in a hug that Kyle happily returns. The hug is long and filled with tears, but eventually the two part.

"Now that we're all here, I want us to all pray for Annie-" Maddie begins.

"If Annie has the same sickness as Kyle, shouldn't she be okay too?" Katie asks and Tyler takes a sharp inhale of breath. Maddie wraps her arms around him as she thinks of a way to answer Katie's question.

"Every person reacts differently. Annie is having a little more trouble with getting better, so we're all going to pray for her." Maddie replies.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..." Maddie's mother begins and leads the group in prayer. The next few days go by slowly, Kyle eventually getting discharged on the condition that he have a consult with a psychologist. Bill begrudgingly agrees and the Townsends move Kyle home, all the while Annie does not wake up. Her parents rarely leave her side and she gets a lot of visits, the range being from Isaac to Peggy to Cece. The only people not allowed to see her are Tyler and Kyle Townsend, Ronnie still dead set on blaming the brothers for his daughter's condition and Dana Sue too tired to argue. One day, Ronnie leaves Annie's room to go pray in the hospital chapel. By some miracle, Tyler Townsend chooses that exact moment to try and visit Annie again. Tyler knocks on the door to room 303 and Dana Sue's head turns to see him. Dana Sue trudges to the door and opens it.

"You have some timing, Townsend." Dana Sue mutters and grabs her purse.

"What do you mean?" Tyler asks.

"I mean, Ronnie just left for the hospital chapel. He usually spends a good hour in there and, suddenly, I have a craving for hospital food."

"Are you saying..."

"As far as I'm concerned, you were never here. And if you hear Ronnie coming, run." Dana Sue warns and, with a wink, shuts the door behind her. Tyler comes the closest to smiling that he's been since the night of the accident and quickly rushes to sit on the edge of Annie's bed, taking her hand in his.

"Hey, Annie. It's Ty. I know it seems like I haven't visited, but I have. Trust me. Your dad doesn't really like me right now, but if he let me I would be here all of the time." Tyler admits and takes a deep breath as he stares at Annie's unmoving face.

"It's weird... you're so still. You're usually never still, always on the lookout for your next great photo. And you definitely would've rolled your eyes at me by now. You love to do that." Tyler says and smiles slightly at the memories flooding his brain of a much brighter, much sassier, and much more awake version of the Annie sitting in front of him.

"I'm so sorry." Tyler whispers after a few minutes of silence. He strokes her hand with his thumb and looks down at the sheets.

"There had to have been another way. I've been playing that night over and over again in my head and I just... I can't believe I ever even entertained the idea of giving Kyle the keys, let alone giving him the keys when you were also gonna be in the car. I just... I wanted him to see that I cared, that I saw him and I didn't want to lose him. But then I handed him the keys to something that could've killed him. It almost did. And now you're..." Tyler harshly wipes a few tears away.

"You have to wake up, Annie. If you don't wake up... I don't know what I'll do. I don't know if I could ever get over it. And I know what you're thinking. We haven't really spoken or hung out since what happened after the banquet, so why do I suddenly care now? Well, I always cared, Annie. I need you to know that. I just... I didn't know what to say and looking back on it now I just want to hit myself and tell past me to say anything, literally anything, to you. Anything so you'd know how much I care about you. God, what have I done..." Tyler finally comes apart and lets himself cry as he squeezes Annie's hand tighter and tighter. Nothing pulls him away from his sobs until he suddenly feels resistance to his grip on Annie's hand. He looks down and sees her wrist twisting and hears her murmur a few cries of pain. Tyler's eyes go wide as he realizes he's been crushing her hand and lets go, mesmerized by the concept of Annie possibly waking up. His mother had told him that Annie had a few physical reactions the day before, but she had never opened her eyes.

"Annie? Annie, it's Ty. Can you hear me? Please be able to hear me." Tyler begs as he moves closer to her head.

"Annie? You have to open your eyes. Please. You need to wake up and make everything okay again. I need you to wake up." Tyler continues to plead as Annie settles again and stops moving.

"No. No, no, please. You're so close, Annie. We need you. I need you, please. You have to wake up, I can't stand another day of this." Tyler whimpers and takes her hand again, this time much gentler. He stares at her, his heart in his throat as he waits to see if she'll wake up.

"Please." Tyler whispers, his eyes clenching shut as his tears begin to fall onto their entwined fingers.

"Wet." Annie mutters and jolts her hand away so quickly it takes Tyler a moment to process it. The moment he does, his eyes slowly rise to meet hers in the hope that they're open and staring back at him. He lets out a sigh.

"Hey." Tyler whispers as Annie stares back at him, groggy and confused.

"Ty." She manages to whisper after a few moments of licking her lips. Tyler gives her a soft smile before she points at the water beside her bed and he jumps into action. A few cups of water later, Annie is slightly more alert.

"I'm gonna go get the nurse, okay?" Tyler says and Annie's hand shoots out to grab his wrist, her eyes wide. The beeping next to her bed begins to speed up, indicating the rise of her heart rate.

"I'll be right back, I promise." Tyler whispers as he gently puts her hand back on the bed and pushes a lock of her hair behind her ear. He stares at her, waiting for permission, which she eventually gives by slightly nodding her head. Tyler quickly gets a nurse who calls Dana Sue and Ronnie over the hospital's PA system and then follows Tyler to Annie's room. The nurse begins to check Annie's vitals as Tyler anxiously stands in the doorway, wanting to stay but knowing Ronnie will be furious if he sees him in Annie's room.

"Ty?" He hears Annie call as her heart rate increases again.

"Is that you?" The nurse asks and turns to look at Tyler, who nods.

"We need to keep her heart rate down. Why are you standing in the doorway?" The nurse asks.

"Well, her father doesn't really want me anywhere near her at the moment and you just called him on the PA system." Tyler replies and the nurse rolls their eyes.

"She's awake, I really don't think her father's first concern is going to be you. Now, get over here so she calms down." The nurse orders and, after a brief moment of apprehension, Tyler joins Annie at her side once more and grabs her hand to catch her attention.

"Ty." She says as the nurse continues to examine her, Annie's heart rate going back to normal. He gives her another small smile as he hears running footsteps, Ronnie bursting into the room. His eyes immediately find Tyler, causing Tyler to jump off the bed.

"Hey, I thought I made it clear-" Ronnie begins, but the nurse cuts him off.

"Your daughter is only calm when he's around and we need her to stay calm. He stays." The nurse says, not even bothering to look in Ronnie's direction as they finish with Annie.

"How is she?" Ronnie asks as Tyler heavily exhales and sits on the edge of Annie's bed again, smiling as she looks at him. Before the nurse can answer Ronnie's question, Dana Sue comes running into the room screaming Annie's name.

"Annie? Are you awake? Is she awake? What's going on?" Dana Sue asks frantically.

"She's awake. She's still heavily medicated so she's a little out of it, but everything seems good. I would let her rest for awhile and later, if she's feeling up to it, we could try lessening her meds. It's important that you keep her calm, so maybe stay away from visitors until at least tomorrow." The nurse explains. Dana Sue turns to look at Tyler, whose gaze hasn't moved from her daughter's since she walked in.

"Does that mean-" Dana Sue starts to ask.

"He can stay." Ronnie mutters, a hint of defeat in his voice despite the smile growing on his face the more he looks at his daughter. The nurse nods in agreement and leaves the room. Dana Sue resists her initial urge to tackle Annie in a hug and instead slowly approaches the bed, Ronnie standing beside her on the opposite side of Tyler.

"Hey, Annie. How you feeling?" Dana Sue whispers and Annie slowly turns her gaze from Tyler to her mother.

"Mom?" She asks.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Your dad is here too." Ronnie adds with a smile.

"Dad?" Annie asks, blinking a few times.

"Yeah." Ronnie says as Dana Sue reaches for Annie's other hand. Annie swallows a few times then smiles, which Dana Sue and Ronnie take as a victory. Dana Sue lets out a half giggle, half sob as Ronnie squeezes her shoulder. Annie's gaze drifts back to Tyler, who squeezes her hand in response.

"Ty." She says as her eyes begin to glaze over, her eyelids becoming heavy.

"Hey. Get some rest, okay?" Tyler whispers as Annie tries to stay awake.

"I actually agree with him, for once." Ronnie jokes and Dana Sue chuckles along with a small giggle from Annie.

"You all be here? Later?" Annie determinedly asks despite her eyes finally staying closed. Tyler looks to Annie's parents, one giving a smile and the other sighing.

"Yeah. We'll be here." Tyler assures Annie as she finally succumbs to sleep.


	4. An Invitation

Kyle Townsend stares at his lap, listening to the arguing coming from the kitchen.

"Dr. Weatherspoon said-" Maddie yells.

"I don't give a damn about what Gabe's mom said-" Bill cuts in.

"Gabe's mom has a stellar reputation as a child therapist-"

"Please-"

"She has a Doctorate in Child Psychology-"

"A soft science-"

"Would you listen to me for _once_ , Bill?" Maddie exclaims, slamming her hands on the kitchen counter.

"Only if you admit that this entire thing is ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Bill, our son tried to kill himself-"

"For attention. He wants us to see him. Therapy isn't the answer."

"You cannot be serious. Do you even care that we almost lost Kyle?"

"Of course I do. How dare you accuse me of not caring about our son." Bill seethes.

"Well it sure doesn't feel like you care. The hospital said-"

"I know what the hospital said, Maddie. But I also know that sending our son to a stranger to talk about his problems isn't the solution here. _We_ need to be here for Kyle, _we_ should be the people he's telling his problems to so _we_ can help him. Don't you see? By sending him to therapy we're just showing him that we don't have time for him. We're making the same mistake that caused this in the first place." Bill explains and Maddie takes a second to fully process what he said.

"Bill, I'm not saying we send him to a therapist and that's all we do. Of course we have to be there for him and fix the way we've been acting, but there are some aspects of this that only an expert can help with. You heard him at the hospital. We can love him and be there for him and do everything right and he can still feel unloved and not seen. He can't help it. He has depression, Bill." Maddie replies, calmly, finally understanding where her ex is coming from.

"I know. I'm a pediatrician, it's not like I didn't learn about this I just... it's somehow different when it's your own son, you know?"

"I know."

"So, what did Dr. Weatherspoon recommend?"

"She said Kyle should start seeing someone once a week. She gave me a list of doctors at her practice that she thinks could fit."

"And why can't she do it?"

"Gabe and Ty are best friends. She felt she was too close to the situation."

"I guess that makes sense. What's the next step?"

"Well, I guess we pick one." Maddie says and Bill joins her in looking at the list of options Dr. Weatherspoon sent. At the same time, Tyler comes bounding down the stairs with Katie on his tail.

"I'm getting the mail!!" Katie excitedly exclaims and runs out the door. Tyler chuckles as Kyle furrows his brow.

"What about the mail is so exciting?" Kyle asks as Tyler joins Kyle on the couch.

"She's waiting for an invitation to a birthday party." Tyler explains.

"They still mail those?"

"I guess. It's a complete waste of paper, in my opinion."

"Agreed." Kyle says as Katie comes running back in.

"Did you get your invitation?" Tyler asks as Katie runs over to the two of them.

"No, but Kyle got one." Katie says and hands Kyle a card before huffing back up the stairs to her room.

"I did? To what?" Kyle asks as he opens the envelope. Kyle's eyes go wide the moment he reads the card.

"What does it say?" Tyler asks, not looking up from his phone.

"Dear Kyle Townsend and family, you have been cordially invited to the baby shower of Peanut Fitzgibbons, the soon-to-be born child of Noreen Fitzgibbons and Dr. Bill Townsend." Kyle reads and Tyler immediately begins to read over his shoulder.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Tyler mutters as Kyle finishes reading the card.

"I think we should go." Kyle says.

"Go where?" Their mom asks as she and their father enter the den.

"Noreen's baby shower." Kyle replies.

"Noreen's _what_?" Their father exclaims and grabs the card from Kyle.

"She leaves with my child and the next time I hear from her is an invitation to our baby shower? That she never told me about?" Their father mutters.

"I mean, technically, she still never told you. This is clearly addressed to Kyle, not you." Tyler retorts.

"Watch your mouth."

"Come on, this could be a great time to make amends. We could make it a family road trip and meet Noreen's family and-" Kyle says.

"Kyle, I don't know-" His mom begins.

"I want to go. I want to support Noreen and my new sibling. Don't you, Ty?" Kyle asks and all eyes turn on Tyler, who looks less than thrilled at the attention.

"I... I... I gotta go." Tyler says and sprints out of the house.

"Ty!" Maddie exclaims and moves to chase after him, but is stopped by Bill.

"Let him go. He needs space." Bill states.

"You two said you'd try to be a family again. Whether you like it or not, Noreen and her baby are a part of this family too. You've talked the talk, now it's time to walk the walk." Kyle explains, takes the invitation, and slowly goes to his room, his healing ribs not allowing for any quick movement. Across town, in the hospital, Annie groans as she turns off the small TV in her room.

"God, I cannot wait to get out of here." Annie exclaims, boredom having gotten the best of her. Her mom had left to check on the restaurant and her father was moving into their home, for the time being. How Annie felt about that, she wasn't sure. All she knew was if she had to spend another second watching some dumb soap opera she was going to lose her mind. Luckily, there was a knock on her door moments after she turned off the TV. She turns to see Tyler walking into her room and closing the door behind him.

"Ty. Hey." Annie says and swallows uncomfortably. To tell the truth, once she woke up from her drug-induced haze Annie felt incredibly awkward around Ty. It seemed to be the theme of their friendship lately.

"Hey. Sorry I barged in." Tyler mumbles as he paces back and forth in front of her bed.

"It's okay. Is something wrong?" Annie asks and Tyler finally stops pacing, choosing instead to clench the bed frame at the foot of her bed with his fists. Tyler lets out a frustrated growl and clenches his eyes shut.

"I don't understand Kyle's fascination with Noreen."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"Meaning: I want to be there for Kyle and show him how much I care, but he wants me to go to Noreen's baby shower and be friends with her and pretend she's not the reason our entire family blew up. I don't know how he can see her as anything more than the woman Dad cheated on Mom with."

"Have you ever asked him?" Annie asks and Tyler sighs, opening his eyes and rubbing his face with his hands.

"He tried to tell me the night after he ran away. He told me Noreen left our dad and I could tell he was upset and that he wanted to talk to me about it. It was clearly one of the reasons, if not _the_ reason, he ran away and I barely let him get a word in before I celebrated her leaving. God, I'm such an ass."

"Ty-"

"It was after the play when he started acting weird and Noreen told him after the play that she was leaving. I should've known better-"

"It's not your fault."

"Annie. Don't lie to me. You and I both know if I had just listened to Kyle about Noreen and spent more time with him he probably wouldn't have felt so alone. It's my fault."

"Ty-"

"Annie-"

"Will you just listen to me?" Annie exclaims and Tyler looks at Annie for the first time since walking into the room, his mouth falling shut.

"You weren't the only one he was upset with. He and I had a falling out after the play. After he ran away we made up and I thought he was okay, but he wasn't. I still haven't gotten to talk to him about it." Annie admits, having only heard that Kyle was okay since he had yet to visit her. She doesn't blame him, really. She and Ty still haven't recovered from their kissing mishap, she shouldn't have assumed Kyle would've gotten over theirs so easily.

"What were you two fighting about?" Ty asks and Annie avoids his gaze.

"That's between him and me, but the point is you weren't the only one who failed Kyle, okay? Now, sit down and explain to me this Noreen thing. She invited you to a baby shower?" Annie asks, anxious to change the subject. Tyler stares at her for a moment and then, begrudgingly, lets his curiosity go. He walks over to the side of her bed and sits where Annie remembers him sitting when she woke up for the first time.

"Kyle got an invitation in the mail for her baby shower in a few weeks, addressed to Kyle Townsend and family. He wants us all to go."

"He does?"

"Yeah. I think he wants us to get past the awkwardness of the situation and be a family, Noreen included."

"Do you think you could do that?" Annie asks and Tyler looks down at his hands.

"Is it bad that I don't know if I can?"

"No."

"Kyle makes it seem so simple."

"Well Kyle has always been more open to trusting people than anyone I've ever met."

"She blew up our family. _She's_ the reason our dad left our mom. She knew my dad was married and she went after him anyway. The fact that Kyle expects all of us to forgive that, for our mom to forgive that, so that we can all come together and sing Kumbaya is just so... naïve."

"Maybe Kyle doesn't see it like that."

"How else could he see it?"

"Well, I'm not saying what Noreen did wasn't wrong and you have every right to be upset, but that baby she's carrying _is_ your sibling."

"Half-sibling."

"Still, that baby boy or girl is gonna need their big brother."

"They'll have Kyle."

"What if they're an athlete? Or what if they get into a bad situation and need someone to save them? I love Kyle, but I'm not sure he could take Jackson in a fight." Annie teases and Tyler lets out a chuckle and looks up at her.

"You really think Jackson is gonna be this kid's bully?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't put it past him." Annie says while laughing.

"I guess that's fair."

"And, Ty, I'm on your side but... it takes two to cheat. You keep saying Noreen blew up your family, but she couldn't do that without your dad." Annie says, cautiously waiting for Tyler to react. Tyler drops his head and stares at his hands again.

"You're right."

"I know." Annie says and Tyler lets out a snort.

"I'm sorry but, come on Ty, you are so much better than the whole 'only blame the woman' thing. It's misogynistic and beneath you." Annie continues and Tyler nods his head.

"I know. I was wondering when you'd get around to yelling at me about that." Tyler mutters.

"If you knew it was wrong, why did you keep saying it?"

"I guess I just... I wanted to believe that my dad wasn't as bad as the entire town suddenly thought. But then he kept showing me time and time again that the hero I had built him up to be in my head wasn't who he really was. And I could blame Noreen as much as I wanted, but blaming her wasn't going to erase what my dad did to us. H-He destroyed our family." Tyler admits, swallowing the tremor in his voice. Annie reaches out and puts one of her hands over his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Ty. I know that doesn't make it any better but... I'm so sorry this happened." Annie says as Tyler meets her gaze and gives her a sad smile.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. My dad was really unhappy, I guess."

"It's not an excuse."

"I know." The two fall silent as Annie's thumb continues to stroke the top of one of Tyler's hands and Tyler takes slow, deep breaths. Before either of them speak, a knock comes from the door which quickly opens.

"Tyler William Townsend, I have been looking all over for you." Maddie Townsend exclaims as she walks in and Tyler jumps off the bed.

"Sorry. I needed some time to think." He explains.

"Well, your time to think is over. It's almost time for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am. Can I just have a minute with Annie? To finish our conversation?"

"Sure. One minute. I'll be waiting." Maddie says and leaves the room. When Tyler turns back to Annie and sits down, she hits him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Tyler exclaims.

"You didn't tell me no one knew where you were!" Annie replies.

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"I'm gonna get an earful from my mom about this, you know? You Townsend boys are starting to get a reputation."

"Haha, very funny."

"For real, though? Go to the baby shower. You don't have to be best friends with Noreen, but you at least owe it to the baby and to Kyle to try. That's all he really wants."

"I don't know about that."

"I think you'll be shocked by how much you telling him you'll try with Noreen will mean to him."

"And how do you know all of this, exactly?"

"Because, before our fight, we would talk about these things. I tried to be there for him as best as I could, but then things got messy and, well, here we are."

"Are you and Kyle gonna be okay?"

"I hope so. These things take time, you know?"

"Yeah... are _we_ okay?" Tyler asks and Annie hesitates. Before she can answer, the door opens and in walks Simon Spry.

"Oh. Sorry. Your mom said I could come in, Tyler. She said to tell you it's definitely been more than one minute." Simon explains, awkwardly fidgeting.

"Yeah. I gotta go." Tyler says and starts to walk to the door.

"So, you said something about a podcast?" Tyler hears Simon ask Annie as he reaches the doorway.

"Okay, hear me out. It could be titled: A Photographer Without Her Camera." Annie says excitedly.

"Kinda long."

"That's okay, I have more. What about Photograthoughts?"

"I suddenly remember why _you_ take the pictures and _I_ do the writing." Simon teases as Tyler shuts the door behind him. Tyler turns to his mom, who is giving him a knowing look.

"What?" Tyler asks as he and his mom leave the hospital.

"Nothing, I just didn't realize Simon and Annie were so close." His mom says.

"Well, he did take her to prom."

"Yeah, I know, but I never really saw it as anything romantic."

"Really?" Tyler asks, looking at his mother to see if she was telling the truth.

"Really." His mom says as they get into the car and start to drive home.

"I'm sorry I ran out."

"It's okay. Everything about that conversation was a lot to handle. I sure wasn't ready for it. You have to tell me where you're going though. Even if it's just a text once you get there saying you're okay and you need some space. I can't keep losing track of my children."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I know. Usually it's not that bad because, honestly, you're pretty predictable."

"I am?"

"Oh yeah. Your safe space has always been the baseball field. It was only when I couldn't find you there that I started to worry."

"Yeah... I don't know what came over me." Tyler says as they pull into their driveway and he immediately hops out of the car.

"Dinner is in less than ten minutes." His mom announces as the two of them walk into the house, his dad and Katie watching some dinosaur show in the den. Tyler runs up the stairs and knocks on Kyle's door.

"Come in." Kyle says and Tyler opens the door, closing it behind him as he walks towards Kyle, who is laying on his bed.

"You're back." Kyle states and sits up.

"Yeah." Tyler replies, crossing his arms.

"I guess not everyone is as good as me at disappearing." Kyle mumbles and Tyler feels his heart in his throat.

"About that. I'll go to the baby shower." Tyler says and Kyle's eyes light up.

"You will?"

"Yeah." Tyler says and Kyle tackles him in a hug.

"Thank you." Kyle whispers as Tyler hugs him back. After a moment they pull away.

"You have to understand, though. I can't promise that Noreen and I will hit it off. I know she's the mom of our new sibling and not all of this is her fault, but she's still the woman who went after a married man, you know? It's gonna take me some time to warm up to her, if I ever do. All I can promise is that I'll try." Tyler explains and Kyle nods his head.

"That's all I want, just for everyone to try."

"I think you can get me and Dad and Katie to try, but I don't think it's very fair of you to expect Mom to try. As much as this has hurt us, Dad and Noreen betrayed her the most. If she says no, I think you just have to accept that." Tyler explains and Kyle stays silent for a few moments, mulling over what his brother just said.

"That's fair." Kyle eventually says.

"Good."

"Kids, dinner!" Their mom yells and the two race downstairs.


	5. Uncomfortable Conversations

Maddie looks around the lobby of the spa and, upon seeing no members approaching her desk, takes out her phone.

_From: Helen Decatur_

_Pour it out? This Sunday at my house? It's been awhile since the three of us got together._

Maddie sighs, knowing Helen is right. Truth be told, Maddie hasn't wanted to leave Kyle's side since the accident and Dana Sue is being just as bad, if not worse, with Annie.

_From: Dana Sue Sullivan_

_I don't know... Annie just got out of the hospital. I don't want to leave her alone so soon if I don't have to._

_From: Helen Decatur_

_Isn't Ronnie around? He can stay with her for the night. Maddie? What about you?_

Maddie stares at the screen, pondering if she should even bother with an excuse since Helen does not seem like she's going to be deterred.

_To: Pour It Out_

_I guess I could ask Bill to watch the kids._

_From: Helen Decatur_

_Perfect. It's settled. Margarita night. Sunday. Absolutely no excuses._

_From: Dana Sue Sullivan_

_Fine. I'll be there._

Maddie clicks on Bill's contact and puts her phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" Bill asks.

"Hi. It's Maddie. Helen wants to do margarita night on Sunday and is not taking no for an answer. I was wondering if you could watch the kids at the house while I'm gone?" Maddie asks, hopefully.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there."

"Perfect. Thanks." Maddie says and hangs up, cringing at the interaction as Trotter walks up to her desk.

"Cringing? Let me guess. Your ex husband was on the line." Trotter teases and Maddie rolls her eyes.

"Yes, but he didn't say anything bad. It's just... awkward." Maddie replies.

"Awkward because you two have been spending a lot of time together recently and emotions are high...?"

"That depends, are you asking as _my_ friend Trotter or as Cal's _best friend_ Trotter?" Maddie asks and Trotter chuckles.

"I'm asking as your friend, but if the story slips out of my mouth after one too many beers with Cal... oh well..."

"There's nothing going on between me and Bill besides navigating the fact that our son almost died trying to get our attention."

"That is incredibly fair."

"How is he, if you don't mind me asking?" Maddie asks, causing both members of the conversation to look anywhere but in the other member's eyes.

"He misses you. He doesn't really understand what he did wrong and, forgive me, I don't really understand either."

"He didn't... everything with that scout, it wasn't his fault. I overreacted to a situation that I honestly know nothing about and, yeah, maybe I'm still a little mad that he didn't tell me his friend was a scout who could take interest in Ty, but I should've handled it better."

"Does that mean..."

"No."

"Why?"

"Trotter, my son felt so unnoticed by me that he crashed a car. I can't start dating someone right now, not until Kyle is okay."

"Cal can handle it-"

"I don't doubt that, but I can't. It's too much for me right now, okay? I know he is an amazing man and if you just so happen to mention how grateful I am for everything he did that night, I wouldn't be mad. But I need to be a mom right now. Just a mom." Maddie explains, giving Trotter a sad smile.

"I get that. So will he."

"I know." Before they can say any more, a member walks over to the desk and Maddie gets back to work. As Maddie continues to work, Dana Sue is frantically moving around her den in an attempt to make it comfortable for Annie. Annie's health, like the doctors told Dana Sue a million times, is well on its way to being perfectly fine. All she needs is bed rest, and yet, Dana Sue cannot seem to fight the anxiety settling in her stomach at the idea of leaving Annie home alone for the day.

"Mom!" Annie exclaims from the couch. Dana Sue jumps and her hand goes to her chest.

"You almost gave me a heart attack." Dana Sue says as she stops fluffing the pillow she had been fixating on.

"I've been calling your name for like five minutes straight." Annie says as Dana Sue lets out a sigh.

"Well, sorry I was focused on making this couch as comfortable as possible."

"Mom, I'm fine. I don't need you and Dad hovering over me all of the time. You have work."

"Yes, I know. I just wasn't expecting your father to find a job so quickly. Or at all." Dana Sue mutters, her newly returned husband being a little too presumptuous in her opinion.

"That's good though. It means he's staying for awhile." Annie says excitedly and Dana Sue sighs.

"Yes, it appears so."

"Isn't that a good thing? Don't you miss him?"

"I have to go to work, Annie." Dana Sue says as she quickly packs her bag and heads to the door.

"Wow great dodge, Mom. Why did you let him move in if you didn't want him here?"

"Annie, things are complicated between me and your father, okay?"

"Why?"

"It's really none of your concern."

"I-"

"And I have to go. I'll see you tonight." Dana Sue says and slams the door shut behind her. Annie groans and stares at the ceiling. Things between her parents have been tense ever since she woke up and, for the life of her, she can't figure out why. Her dad is back and clearly wants to stay in Serenity, why couldn't her mom just give him a second chance? The day goes by painfully slow, all of Annie's friends in school besides Kyle, who still hasn't talked to her. Annie keeps trying to talk to him, but he won't even reply to her texts. By the time school, in theory, ends, Annie is watching another movie on Netflix. As the credits roll, Annie hears a knock on the door. She removes herself from the blanket cocoon her mom had wrapped her in and slowly sits up, letting out a grunt as she does. The person knocks again.

"I'm coming!" Annie yells as she struggles to push herself off the couch. Her muscles are still pretty out of shape from the accident, not that they were ever really _in_ shape before that. It made moving a harder process than Annie would like to admit, fatigue often coming quickly. She finally reaches her front door and opens it to see Cece Matney on the other side of it. Annie is tempted to slam it in her face.

"Hello?" Annie asks, not sure what Cece is doing here. The two of them have rarely spoken in their entire lives, let alone all of the problems Cece has caused Annie in the past few months.

"Can I come in?" Cece asks.

"Why?"

"Because I have something to say."

"I really don't have any interest in what you have to say. Last time we had a real conversation you promised you'd look out for me at a party and then left me to my own devices so..." Annie snarks and goes to close the door.

"I have Erik's famous brownies!" Cece quickly says which halts Annie in her tracks.

"And his cinnamon ice cream. Ty said they were your favorites." Cece adds as Annie opens the door again.

"Poison?" Annie asks, unsure.

"More like a bribe." Cece says and Annie takes a moment to think.

"I guess I can deal with your voice for ice cream and brownies." Annie says and lets Cece in, following her to the kitchen table and getting a spoon for herself. Annie sits down and immediately puts a brownie in her mouth, moaning at just how good it is.

"So what do you want?" Annie asks as Cece fidgets in the chair across from her.

"I... I came here to apologize." Cece says and a hunk of brownie gets caught in Annie's throat and she struggles to swallow. Once she does she stares at Cece, trying to deduce if this is real.

"What's the angle?"

"There's no angle."

"I don't believe you."

"I didn't expect you to. Listen, that night... these past few weeks... they were a wake up call for me."

"Okay...?"

"Everything with Kyle was terrifying but I think the worst part was seeing you in a hospital bed, unsure if you were gonna wake up, and knowing that if you didn't you were gonna die hating me. And for good reasons."

"If you're expecting forgiveness-"

"I'm not, I just... I want you to know how sorry I am. I'm not proud of the role I've played in your life this year, and I could go in depth about my rationale at the time but I know it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I was wrong and I'm sorry for treating you the way I did." Cece explains and Annie starts opening the ice cream, shoving a spoonful in her mouth so she can have time to think of a response.

"What did I ever do to you?" Annie asks, staring at the ice cream.

"Nothing. I just wanted Ty to like me and he didn't and then I saw how close you two were and how easy it was for you to talk to him and... I got jealous. I still am kinda jealous."

"Well you shouldn't be. Ty and I barely talk now, so..."

"I know and I feel bad-"

"Don't. That part, at least, wasn't your fault. Ty should've deleted that recording and Jackson should've, I don't know-"

"Had a soul?"

"Yeah. That."

"If it makes you feel better, Ty and I aren't talking that much either."

"Why would that make me feel better?" Annie mutters and takes another bite of her brownie.

"Because clearly Ty is losing interest in me, if he even fully had it to begin with, which I'm honestly not sure about anymore."

"My happiness isn't contingent on your unhappiness, Cece. It helps sometimes, but I really don't care about your love life or how it affects mine."

"Must be nice."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that my whole life centers around boys. Or at least, that's what it feels like especially now that mock trial is over."

"Yeah, you were a shark at that." Annie mutters, not hungry anymore from thinking about that day.

"I know I was hard on you and I went off script-"

"No kidding."

"My dad showed up and... he doesn't necessarily bring out the best side of me." Cece says and Annie sighs.

"So, what? Are you turning over a new leaf? Trying to get Ty to pay attention to you? What do you want from me?"

"I... I want to be a better person, and I couldn't do that without first apologizing to you. I'm not proud of myself, especially leaving you alone to chug a bottle of vodka. I've been to those parties and I know there are creeps on the baseball team, I should've kept an eye on you. It looked like Gabe and Ty had it handled though..."

"And you were jealous of _that_? Ty and Gabe had to drag me home and stop the car every few minutes so I could vomit. It was mortifying."

"At least you have people to look out for you. I don't think anyone would've done that for me."

"Gabe and Ty would've. They love playing superhero and they hate Jackson." Annie says, chuckling to herself.

"Who doesn't?" Cece asks and the two girls chuckle.

"I've been wondering if I should dedicate a whole row of welcome to Serenity to pictures of him." Annie says and Cece gasps.

"I knew that was you! I _love_ that account."

"You do?"

" _Yes_. The people here love to ignore Serenity's problems, of which it has many. I only have one critique."

"Oh we were so close to bonding." Annie says and shakes her head.

"No, listen. The account is great and you have a voice, but I never understood why you never took it further."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, putting our raccoon problem on blast is great and all, but we have deeper issues. For example, Serenity loves to market itself as a town where everyone loves everyone and we're all equal, yet there are people in our own community who struggle to put food on the table everyday and no one talks about it. Think about how much money Mary Vaughn raises each year for baseball when people in her own community don't have enough clothes. You could be the one to talk about it. Or at least document that it's a problem we have."

"How? It feels a little insensitive to go door to door looking for people who are economically challenged so I can take pictures of them."

"I can help with that."

"You can? How?"

"Well... because I know those people. Because I am one of those people." Cece says awkwardly, avoiding eye contact as Annie blushes.

"Really? I never thought... you always seem to have amazing clothes."

"Yeah, well, a lot of people donate their barely worn clothes to the church so my siblings and I will go thrifting there or sometimes my cousins send hand me downs. I never wanted people to see me any differently so I just never mentioned it."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Anyway. It's infuriating to see the amount of money they funnel into baseball. The Mayor and his wife are some of the biggest contributors even though they know exactly where that money _should_ go."

"Have you ever thought about going into journalism?" Annie asks, an idea already forming in her head as Cece blushes.

"No. Being a lawyer was cool, if I were to do anything I would do that. I don't see that happening though."

"Why not?"

"There's no way I could afford college, let alone law school."

"There's always financial aid and merit scholarships."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't think I've really done anything that will get me a merit scholarship."

"Maybe not _yet_. Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"

"Not until 7, that's when aftercare closes and I have to get my siblings."

"Perfect. You grab a spoon, I can't eat all of this by myself, and I'll call Simon. We have work to do."


End file.
